Monday, October 3, 2016

We Report, You Decide: Democracy or Idiocracy?

How much is too much?

Tomorrow night at exactly 7 pm PT you can see the classic 2006 cult film Idiocracy, airing for one night only "on the platform of your choice," whatever that means. It will also play in select theaters around the country, again just on October 4. So what, you ask? Well, the prophetic film about a future run by the dummies in the country is sort of turning, or already has turned depending on your own IQ, into reality, and you might want to check it out for some pointers.

One example of the downward dive of the intelligentsia can be seen in the New York Times Magazine circa two days ago. Back in the day that worthy publication was my reason for getting out of bed on a Sunday. The articles were brilliant, the topics high-falutin' and the crossword puzzle was taxing and sometimes impossible to complete. Not so anymore; my husband and I finished the most recent puzzle in record time, and without even cheating. Even worse is some of the information contained within that magazine's drastically over-designed covers. Following is a sample:

Page 27: A feature called "Tip" tackles the thorny problem of How to Walk in High Heels, seriously dispensing such advice as, "Start with the right shoes. Thicker heels are easier. You can't stand in eight-inch stilettos comfortably for as long as you can in chunky-heeled boots. Stand up straight, spend some time practicing, don't obsess over mechanics..." Blah, blah, blah.

Page 24: A weekly Q and A column called "The Ethicist" which purports to address genuine problems regarding ethics ponders a question from a woman whose husband drinks a 12-pack of Mountain Dew every few days. She thinks that's excessive and wonders if it is.

Page 10: A graphic chart accompanies the following paragraph:"Dear Reader: Are You Keeping Up With the Kardashians? Every week the magazine publishes the results of a study conducted online in June by The New York Time's research-and-analytics department, reflecting the opinions of 2,563 subscribers who choose to participate. This week's question: How many Kardashians can you name?"